Prophecy
by CranesWing
Summary: The Skeleton King is reborn, aid has been called, Chiro still doubts his place in the world and Shuggazoom is on the brink of destruction by an old foe. The Monkey Team is in for a challenge, will they survive it?
1. A Beginning of an End

"Chiro? What's going on? It looks like you're preparing for war,"

"The biggest war Shuggazoom has ever seen. This is it, team, it's time we mobilize. Hyper Force, Go!"

Prophecy

Chapter One: The Beginning of an End

Chiro looked around the main control room. The pods the team usually sat in were hidden under the floor to make room for their numerous guests.

It had been about three days since they had sent out the call to arms, asking any and all of their allies and friends to come help in what they hoped would be a final, and victorious, strike against the Skeleton King and his undead army.

Among their allies were the Sun Riders, the Robo-Apes, Mobiuz Quint, Ariana, Neekeeta and Tikqdo, Supa and his team, as well as Captain Shuggazoom. Most had brought along their equivalent to generals and captains. Even Slingshot had answered their call, figuring that his search for Dr. Maezono could wait.

"Chiro, let us begin," Antauri said.

Chiro nodded and stepped forward to the center of the gathering. He glanced up at Jinmay, who smiled lovingly back at him.

"Everyone, on the behalf of the Hyper Force and myself, I want to thank you all for answering our call. I know many of you have your own problems back on your own worlds-"

"Save it, Chiro," Slingshot said, holding up a hand. "I'll be so bold as to speak for everyone when I say that this is the least we can do for you and the Hyper Force."

There were murmurs of agreement.

"Besides, if the Skeleton King destroys Shuggazoom, he'll only come after us next. It would only be a matter of time," Ariana said.

"And scientifically speaking, it's more logical for us to fight together rather than to resist on our own. Strength lies in numbers after all," Supa added.

"Oh, great, we have another Dr. Brainstrain," Sprx muttered. Nova elbowed him.

Chiro smiled at his friends, this was working out better than he had imagined.

"Okay, let's get down to business," Chiro said. He pressed a few buttons on a controller he had in his pocket and it brought up a hologram of the planet. "The undead army seems to be gathering most of its strength from here, a place we call The Zone of Wasted Years. It's a savage, jungle-like area with fierce animals and plants and some swampy terrain. Usually Skeleton King launches the first attack but this time we'd like to hit him first and hit him hard.

"To confirm the location of the undead army, Antauri is going to lead a stealth team into the area to do some reconnaissance. In the meantime, Otto will issue anti-undead weapons to everyone. Soldiers will be getting some extra combat training from Jinmay and Nova so they all know what they're up against. Pilots will report to Sprx and Captain Quint for aviation tactics. Anyone with any medical concerns will report to Gibson and any other questions will be brought to me."

Chiro paused for a minute or two to let all the information sink in.

"I kinda stink at making inspirational speeches, but I will say this; if we gotta go out, let's go out fighting!"

The majority of the crowd cheered, a few looked amused by Chiro's loss for inspirational words, but clapped all the same. Everyone dispersed to carry out their orders, all except Gibson. Once everyone was gone, Chiro looked down to give him a smile.

"Hey Gibson, what's up? Shouldn't you be in the medical bay?" Chiro asked.

"Since I have been made the head of the medical team, my first and foremost concern must lie with you. Besides that, you're my friend, and I am very concerned about you, Chiro."

"What for?" Chiro stifled a yawn and rubbed one eye.

"For one, you haven't slept for almost three days now."

"I've done that before, no big deal, besides it's hard to sleep knowing just a line or two of volunteer Shuggazoomians and an energy shield is the only thing between the Undead Army and the rest of the city."

"You haven't done anything but plan for this attack."

"Well, we need to be ready, and I really don't want anymore volunteers to be putting their lives on the line,"

"And you haven't been eating properly."

Chiro frowned, realizing he wasn't going to be getting away with anything this time.

Not like he ever did in the first place.

"Yeah, I guess I have been pushing it a bit."

"More than just a bit. While everyone is out and about, I think you should get some sleep. If anyone needs you, they can speak with me."

Chiro nodded, knowing better than to argue with Gibson. "Okay, thanks, Gibson. Don't let me sleep too long though, okay? Wake me up before Antauri leaves?"

Gibson nodded. "I will."

Chiro offered a lop-sided grin and walked off towards his room. Gibson crossed his arms and smiled; as mature as Chiro was for his age, he was still a teenager.

"What's up Gibson?" Supa said, walking towards the blue simian.

"Oh, nothing; just making sure our leader isn't going to fall ill on us," Gibson replied as he turned and the two of them started walking towards the medical bay.

"Yes, we are always concerned about our leader as well. Sometimes one can forget how old Hidre is, garf," Supa said with a smile.

"How old is Hidre?"

"About the same age as your human, I suppose, I'm not sure how to calculate his age into human years yet."

Gibson just nodded before he sighed and stayed silent. Supa frowned at him slightly.

"Gibson, what is wrong?" Supa asked after a minute.

"Hm? Oh, nothing," Gibson said.

"Among my species, it is considered an insult to fib, even to an acquaintance," Supa nudged Gibson with his elbow. "And I thought you primates were as honorable as us 'superior' frog beings."

Gibson couldn't help smiling at Supa's grinning face.

"Forgive me, I just worry for what this new situation will do to Chiro, not only physically, but mentally as well."

"What do you mean?"

"I've told you about some of our run-ins with the Skeleton King and Mandarin. Chiro will take this war quite personally, as if he hasn't taken our encounters seriously before. I believe my greatest fear for him is that he will do something reckless and there won't be anything anyone can do to stop it."

They stopped in front of the medical bay. Supa put a hand on Gibson's shoulder before he reached to open the door.

"Wouldn't logic dictate that to be worried about something you have no control over is useless?" Supa offered as a comfort.

"Yes, however logic isn't always the answer," Gibson smiled again and pat Supa on the hand. "I appreciate what you are telling me, my friend. Maybe time will present a solution."

"Perhaps it will. Now, let us get to work."

Chiro's eyes flew open. He knew someone was coming.

"Come in," he called out, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he sat up in bed.

The door opened and Antauri walked in.

"Did I disturb you, Chiro?" he asked.

"No, no, not at all," Chiro smiled. "Gibson insisted that I took a nap."

"I would have insisted it as well, you were beginning to get dark circles under your eyes."

"Yeah, I know."

"How are you feeling, Chiro?"

"I'm all right," Chiro stood up and stretched. "You guys have been awfully worried about me lately, why? We didn't even get into any battles yet."

"We're just keeping an eye out for our Chosen One, is that so hard to understand?" Antauri smiled at him.

Chiro sighed. "I dunno, Antauri, I'm still not sure about this whole 'Chosen One' business even after all that we've been through. How do you guys know? There has to be some proof of why things are the way they are, isn't there?"

"Sometimes we must trust in faith, Chiro, sometimes there are things that just cannot be proven."

"Well, yeah I understand that, but," Chiro sighed, unable to find the words to express what he was thinking.

Antauri nodded slightly. "However there are times we need some small scrap of proof so we know it is all real and not some figment of our imaginations."

"Yeah, I guess."

They were silent for a moment, and then Chiro cleared his throat.

"Yes?" Antauri said.

"Are the preparations for your mission all set?"

"Yes, Chiro, everything is prepared, everyone seems ready, we'll be leaving within the hour," Antauri then sighed, which made Chiro look concerned. "Listen Chiro, I have also been concerned about your thoughts about being the Chosen One. I don't mean to keep such secrets from you and by now you must tire of me telling you information that I've known for a while."

Chiro sighed. "A little, what is it now?"

"There was a prophecy that I had studied during my days in the Temple of the Veron Mystics. It named a Chosen One, predicting the coming of a great evil, told of destruction and chaos yet offered a few gems of hope. Mostly I viewed the prophecy to be like many of the others I read; mere stories or random predictions made by those with wishful hearts and minds, some with extraordinary creative powers. However, as time went on and ever since meeting you, the layout of events have been a little disturbing."

"So there is evidence," Chiro murmured thoughtfully.

"However there is little chance of finding it," Antauri warned. "Don't forget the Veron Temple is all but in ruins now. I only tell you of this to help bring your mind to some ease."

"Right, right," Chiro muttered.

Antauri went over to Chiro and took his hand in his own. "I know that things are frustrating at times, Chiro, most of the time I believe things happen for a reason, even if in the meantime they cause pains and discomforts."

"I understand," Chiro said.

Antauri squeezed his hand. "I suppose I better be going."

Chiro kneeled down and hugged the silver monkey. "As irritated as I might get, I'm always going to, well, you guys are the only family I have."

Antauri smiled, understanding the words that Chiro didn't say. "I know, Chiro."

"Be careful out there, Antauri, and come home safely."

Antauri raised a hand slowly to pat the boy on the back. Chiro's tone of voice had him a little worried, but he brushed it off in favor of giving Chiro a reassuring smile.

"I will. Take care of yourself, Chiro."

"You, too."

Antauri slowly left the room, Chiro smiling at him as he left. Once the door shut, he collapsed onto the bed and his smile collapsed with it as his face crinkled up in deep, deep thought.


	2. Problems and Conclusions

Chapter Two: Problems and Conclusions

"I am unsure if this is such a bright idea, Antauri," Jitkle whispered.

"We stay true to our mission and tread carefully, we should be fine," Antauri whispered back.

Jitkle shifted nervously. His claws dug into the branches, his triangular ears twitched and his almond-shapes eyes delved deeply into the scene before them. He was of the cat people from Kathori (the Hyper Force had been stranded on their planet before), and he was the best stealth had to offer. He was the only one of the group who could sneak up on Antauri successfully.

They had found what looked to be a campsite. Noxious fumes had led them all there. The creatures had cut down surrounding trees and plants and burned them in a huge pile in the center of their camp. There had to be thousands of the dark, oozing creations mucking about the place.

"Jitkle, what are your thoughts?" Antauri asked.

"There is little doubt that this is one of the major armies. I am unfamiliar of this area though, so I have no theories of why they're here and exactly what purpose they may serve," Jitkle said.

"I agree. They are camped fairly close to the laboratory,"

"There's a laboratory around here?"

"Yes. I may explain another time, but I am sure the Skeleton King has made the laboratory as a main base of operations, or at least it will be. We should probably scout around for another camp-" Antauri stopped short, noticing Jitkle's ears stopped twitching and his eyes went blank. "What is it?"

"Trouble," Jitkle said slowly in a whisper after a moment of silence. "We've been spotted, we better move before-"

The branch they had been sitting on suddenly collapsed. When they hit the ground, they immediately leapt to their feet and looked around for a place to hide once more.

"We came here to spy, not to fight," Antauri murmured, eyes frantically searching. He spotted a large bush. It would have to do.

Antauri gripped onto Jitkle's hand and dragged him into the thick foliage. They pressed themselves into the ground and pulled their camouflaging cloaks over themselves. Jitkle suppressed his breath and timed any necessary breathing to the wind.

They waited for only a moment before their attackers came around to investigate the area. The dark creatures muttered to each other, they carried large sticks which they used to poke at the ground and move aside leaves and vines.

One of the creatures turned to the bush that the two were hiding in. It wasn't that unexpected, especially if either of these creatures knew anything about tracking. The latter didn't seem to hold true, though the creature poked his stick into the bush. The end of the stick poked Jitkle in the arm, his face scrunched up in pain, but true to his warrior ways, he made no sound and no other move.

The creature that poked him didn't seem to distinguish the difference between the ground and flesh and thus ignored the bush. Both creatures milled about for a few more moments and then they disappeared back into the jungle. Antauri waited a full ten minutes before even thinking of moving.

"Are you all right?" Antauri whispered.

"It hurts," Jitkle whispered back, voice choking. "It hurts, it hurts."

Antauri moved closer to Jitkle and pushed the cloak aside. He gasped at the gaping wound Jitkle had in his arm and was surprised the feline man didn't make more of a fuss before. Now it was clear that the ends of the sticks were not only sharp, but also likely poisoned, for the area surrounding the wound was beginning to turn a sickly green color.

"Jitkle, can you move?" Antauri asked, tossing back his own cloak and trying to help his companion sit up.

"It hurts," Jitkle moaned. His groans grew louder as Antauri tried to help him move.

"What hurts?" Antauri asked, hoping to get the obvious answer.

"It all hurts, it hurts, it hurts."

"Keep yourself together, Jitkle."

Antauri looked around. He knew he had to get back to their gathering point without Jitkle making any sound, but the poor feline moaned when he was moved or touched. As it was, he whimpered as he lay in the soft dirt. Antauri sighed, presented with what seemed to be the only solution.

"Jitkle, I need you to relax," Antauri said, placing a hand between Jitkle's ears.

Jitkle only whined and nodded his head ever so slightly.

Antauri closed his eye in concentration, invoking just enough energy into a Monkey Mind Scream to make Jitkle pass out. Thankfully, the cat didn't make any noise. Once his eyes were shut and Antauri was sure he was completely unconscious, he circled his arms around the cat's waist and began moving back towards their own camp.

"Wow, I don't know about you, Nova, but I am really impressed," Jinmay said, watching the last group of trainees beat back a group of Formless.

"I just hope they'll be just as effective against the real things," Nova said. "This program is a bit outdated, I'm hoping that our undercover crew can give me more information so either Otto or I can come up with a better training program."

"Hey, leave the pessimism to me, all right?" Sprx said, draping an arm across Nova's shoulders.

"Aren't you supposed to be tormenting your own trainees?" Nova scowled, pushing his arm away. She was more annoyed that she didn't hear him enter the room.

"Come on, this is me you're talking to, I can teach anyone to fly, especially with Quint helping."

"They did that well, huh, Sprx?" Jinmay asked.

"Yep, they should be all right. Hey, has anyone heard from Antauri yet?"

"Not yet," Jinmay sighed and then she looked up at the monitors. "Hey, they're almost finished."

The three watched as the last of the Formless were defeated. The mixed group of Kathorians, Robo-Apes, and other creatures raised weapons and fists in a victorious cry.

Nova chuckled as she deactivated the training program.

"Nice work, everyone, you all earned a rest," Nova said into the speaker.

The group bowed and left the room.

"Hey, Jinmay, do me a favor and check on Chiro, make sure he's eaten lunch or something?" Sprx said.

Jinmay smiled and nodded, understanding what he really wanted.

"I'll be back a little later, Nova," she said, offering a wave before leaving the room.

"All right," Nova glanced over her shoulder and watched her leave and then she turned to Sprx. "Everything okay, Sprx?"

"Sort of," Sprx looked at the floor. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?" Nova frowned a little at the way Sprx held himself. "What's going on?"

Sprx sighed. He and Nova hadn't spoken much since the incident with the Fire of Hate. He was willing to leave and even be deactivated, partly because he was disgusted with what he did, but mainly because he didn't blame the others if they never trusted him again. Mostly the others had said they forgave him and that he was crazy to think that they wouldn't, but even now, he couldn't look Nova in the eyes.

"Look, I feel really bad about what happened. I just couldn't help it, I was so desperate to keep Skeleton King from coming back, and I wanted to beat Mandarin, just finally beat that jerk to something-" Sprx tightened his hands into fists and realized he was beginning to babble. Thankfully, Nova said nothing and he took a deep, calming breath to continue. "The point is, is that your life is worth so much more than what would probably have been a small victory."

Nova smiled. "A victory against Mandarin wouldn't be a small one, but I get what you mean."

Sprx turned away from her a little. "What I did was terrible, when I realized what had happened, well, I just wanted to be deactivated."

"It wasn't your fault!" Nova quickly interjected, jumping to her feet and quickly going to put her hands on Sprx's shoulders. "Sprx, no one blames you for what happened, not Antauri, nor Gibson, not even me," she stroked Sprx's cheek with one hand. "We were more worried that we were going to lose you forever."

Sprx chuckled. "Oh, come on, you would have kicked my butt and put me out of my misery."

Nova's hands slid down and hung at her sides as her own head lowered.

"As strong as I may be, I know that there might be times when that strength won't be enough. If I lost you, I think that would be one of those times."

Sprx looked up and lifted Nova's face and saw tears in her eyes.

"You know, it's not fair if you start crying," Sprx said, brushing away a tear before it fell.

Nova let out a small laugh. "Why? Does it put a crack in that macho exterior of yours?"

Sprx chuckled. "You might say that, because it makes me want to do this."

Sprx leaned in close and kissed Nova gently. It took her a moment but she returned it. They parted after a moment with their hands clasped together.

"Took you long enough," Nova said. "Was beginning to wonder how much more I had to make things clear to you."

Nova let her hands drop and walked out of the room. Sprx followed her after a moment.

"Hang on, you've never made any indication of liking me," Sprx said, quickly following her.

"Oh, please, the constant teasing? My smacking you upside the head when you deserved it? The banter?"

"I thought you hated me."

"And you're supposed to be the one with the amazing sense of instinct."

Sprx scowled. "I'll show you instinct."

He pounced on Nova, who giggled and wrestled back. They did this for a few minutes until Antauri's voice on the loud speaker stopped them in their tracks.

"Hyper Force, report to the med bay immediately."

For as urgent as the order seemed, Antauri's voice was as calm and collected as ever.

Sprx and Nova exchanged a glance, untangled themselves and started towards the med bay.

"He's back quick, it's only been a few days," Sprx said.

"What do you think happened?" Nova wondered.

"Well, we know that Antauri's okay."

"Maybe, I don't have a good feeling about this, though."

Nova and Sprx were the last to the medical bay. They recognized Jitkle at once and both grimaced at the wires that were connected over his body. Gibson was busy at one computer while Otto was looking at a medical report with Chiro, while Antauri looked almost anxiously at a screen.

"Jitkle, what happened?" Nova asked, going to the feline and putting a hand on his uninjured arm.

"He's sedated," Gibson murmured without looking up. "He's suffering from a great deal of pain, I'm afraid."

"Antauri, what happened?" Sprx asked.

Antauri sighed. "Monkey Team, I'm afraid this brings up the first unanticipated problem."

"Did they find you guys?" Otto asked.

"Thankfully, no, that is the good news."

"Can't wait to hear the bad news," Sprx murmured. Nova elbowed him, albeit more gentle than usual.

"The bad news is what's happening to our feline comrade. We were hiding and an enemy soldier approached our hiding spot. They have hand-held weapons, sticks they seemed, however we did not know that the ends were pointed."

"Oh no, Antauri, what if they followed the scent of Jitkle's blood?" Nova asked.

"I don't believe that is a route they will take, for the ends of the sticks are poisoned. Somehow, there's a wound but there is no blood."

"The poison is very dangerous. So far my analysis can only conclude that the poison immediately fires off reactions in the nerves so that the affected areas are in a constant state of almost, if not completely debilitating pain," Gibson explained grimly. "Then as it spreads it slowly eats away at your body. First the muscles, then the blood vessels, cartilage, and eventually, well…"

Everyone frowned at the unspoken conclusion.

"So what are we going to do about it? _Can_ anything be done about it?" Chiro asked.

"Results are inconclusive so far," Otto said, putting the readouts aside before turning to the others with a reassuring smile. "But Gibson's a genius. He can figure anything out."

"I will certainly try my best," Gibson said with a nod. "For now we must take this new weapon into consideration and pray that no one else will suffer."

"While we're all here Antauri, fill us in, what else did you find out?" Chiro said.

Antauri nodded. "I believe that the Skeleton King's army is using the laboratory as an epicenter. No one has been able to get close enough to it to draw any definite conclusions, however one thing is clear; the camps closest to the lab have many long-range weapons prepared, while there is an outer circle, if you will, of many of what we assume to be lesser soldiers, perhaps an invasion group. These are the creatures that we saw with the poisoned weapons."

"What is that guy's obsession with that place?" Sprx asked. "I mean, we were there for Antauri, we had been born there, lived there, but seriously?"

"Perhaps it is a last attachment of the true Alchemist," Antauri suggested. He glanced over at Chiro as he continued, "I do not believe it is useful for anything other than dwelling on the past and perhaps writing history books. Our priorities rest with making sure the undead army does not take over Shuggazoom."

"How many soldiers were out there?" Nova asked.

"Hundreds. There were at least one hundred per camp in the outer ring and there were many, many camps. The numbers got fewer as they were closer to the lab. I'm afraid we may be slightly outnumbered and at the moment our lack of knowledge about them poses more of a threat."

Chiro nodded. "Okay, Antauri, would it be to our advantage to have another go at a spy mission?"

"Perhaps, if Otto can make a cloaking device for an aerial vehicle then we can also get a view from the sky."

"Sounds good. Otto, Sprx, can I leave that to you?"

"No problem," Otto said with a thumbs-up and a grin.

"Sure, kid. Come on, Otto,"

"I will continue to work on finding a cure for Jitkle and inform you at once on whatever I can find," Gibson said, turning back to the computers, eager to get to work.

"Antauri, you and Nova call in the troops to schedule undercover perimeter measures. Have them blend in to the population and send an alert if there is any undead activity. It wouldn't surprise me if Skeleton King tried to infiltrate the city with underground or hidden attacks, he's done it before," Chiro said.

"Good idea," Antauri agreed and he turned to Nova. "Please begin gathering anyone who can fit the description of a Shuggazoomian, low profile,"

"Yep, I got it, trust me," Nova said with a smile and then she left.

"Chiro," Antauri made sure to wait until Nova was gone. "I want you to stay in the Super Robot."

"Everyone needs me here Antauri, we're kind of in the middle of a war. Why would I leave?" Chiro asked.

"I know you're still thinking about what we spoke of earlier. When I mentioned the Alchemists lab I saw the look in your eyes. I know you too well, Chiro,"

Chiro didn't meet Antauri's eyes and instead looked at the unconscious Kathorian. Antauri sighed.

"I have long since come to the conclusion that I have no more control over you than I have control over when the sun rises and sets. All I can do is offer my wisdom and requests and hope for the best."

"Aw, come on Antauri, you know me."

"Yes, I do."

"Yeah, well, I can promise that I do know what I'm doing," Chiro smiled at him. "Thanks for looking out for me."

Antauri smiled back and nodded, then Chiro left the room.

"I have the feeling he's humoring you," Gibson said in his usual dry, flat, 'Now you're not falling for that line, are you?' tone.

Antauri nodded and let out a silent sigh as his smile faded.

"Don't tell me you believe him," Gibson's voice was laced with a slight groan.

"No, however I do have faith in him."


	3. Your Path, My Path

Chapter Three: Your Path, My Path

Chiro went directly to his room with purpose and drive in his step, and then he jumped when he found an elderly man sitting on his bed.

"Captain Shuggazoom, you scared me," Chiro said, one hand gripping the edge of his doorway.

"I'm sorry there, Chiro, but I wanted to talk to you and this seemed to be the best place to find you."

Chiro sighed as he dropped next to the elder man.

"Did I do something wrong? What's with everyone checking up on me all of a sudden?"

"Well, it's not everyday a teenager is left responsible for running a war while protecting his home planet. You can't blame the people that care about you to show their concern."

"I guess. So, what's up?"

"Well, I think I got my answer on how you're doing. I also wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help out."

Chiro frowned. Though the good captain had trimmed his hair and beard and spoke with a clearer voice these days, there was no denying the fact the he was still a very old man.

"I don't know, Captain Shuggazoom, no offense but I think your fighting days are kinda over."

Captain Shuggazoom laughed. "Nah, you're right about that, Chiro. Don't get me wrong, though, because I'll fight if I have to, but, no. I was thinking more along the lines of helping you find some answers."

"Answers? To what?"

"I heard you and Antauri talking. Are you going to go looking for the prophecy that Antauri had mentioned?"

"No!" Chiro's voice squeaked.

Damn puberty.

"No," Chiro repeated after clearing his throat. "Like Antauri said, the prophecy is more than likely destroyed along with the temple."

Captain Shuggazoom smirked at him. "But a small detail like that ain't gonna stop you now, will it?"

"Did Antauri send you to check up on me or something?"

"Yes, plus I know an adventurer when I see one."

Chiro has taken a seat at his desk and now let his forehead drop onto the smooth surface.

"Plus I think it's a bad idea for you to go poking around some ruined temple all by your lonesome," he sighed, sounding slightly wistful. "And perhaps maybe I can find out some more about my old friend."

Chiro sighed, rubbing his temple. He knew what he was planning was a little reckless, but so far he figured his destiny as the Chosen One would keep him safe, if he indeed was the true Chosen One. Getting the others involved was out of the question, he couldn't risk them getting hurt.

As he had mentioned to the team before, if anything happened to him, Shuggazoom would at least have them.

Sensing Chiro's hesitation and worry, Captain Shuggazoom went to him and pat him on the shoulder.

"Antauri asked me to go with you," he said.

Chiro made a slightly strangled noise in his throat before steeling himself for a sigh.

"All right, all right, yes I'm going to the Veron Temple," Chiro looked up at the older man. "I guess Antauri really does know me too well, huh?"

Captain Shuggazoom chuckled. "Guess so, kiddo. Let's go."

"We figured that Squads B and C will take the Sky Hoppers to spy once they're done," Otto said, pointing out the planned path on the view screen.

"Quint and I will head up those squads and Slingshot said he would come as a backup just in case, since he's his own flying machine," Sprx added.

"It all seems like a sound plan so far," Gibson said.

"I agree. Get the squads ready, go over the plan and we'll implement it in the morning," Antauri said.

"Antauri! One of our transports took off without authorization!" Nova pointed to a screen where a blinking red light was quickly moving to the top right corner.

"What the-? Who in the world is that?" Sprx asked.

"You think we have a traitor among us or something?" Nova asked Antauri in a more quiet tone.

Antauri crossed his arms and looked calmly up at the screen.

"It's Chiro. He's going to the remains of the Veron Temple," he explained, almost serenely.

"What for? The Veron Temple was destroyed," Gibson said.

"Chiro's path is his own. He will return when the time is right," Antauri assured them.

"But he's alo-" Sprx started but then he snapped his mouth shut, knowing better. He inwardly sighed, steeling himself. "No, no monkey team member is ever alone."

Nova put a reassuring hand on his shoulder as Otto glanced over to give him a small smile. Antauri nodded.

"Truer words were never spoken," Antauri said. "What's more is that Captain Shuggazoom is with him."

Now Otto looked over at Gibson and the two exchanged slightly dubious looks while Sprx rolled his eyes.

"Oh, great, just perfect Antauri, you're making me feel loads better!" Sprx exclaimed, throwing up his arms.

As Sprx continued to rant, the other three tried to calm him down. Antauri, in the meantime, continued to look at the screen until the light that represented Chiro's ship disappeared.

"Good luck, Chiro," Antauri prayed inwardly.


	4. Sprx's Flight

Chapter Four: Sprx's Flight

Nearly twelve hours after making the plans, Sprx was flying one of the newly designed Sky Hoppers to the other side of Shuggazoom. He had to force himself to put Chiro out of his head or his frustration with the young teen's sudden (and in his opinion, stupid) decision would distract him.

"You okay over there, Red?" Mobius Quint's voice came over the comm.

"Yeah, all good," Sprx replied.

"Much easier talking to you, now that I can understand you guys."

"Heh, yeah, once Chiro made that translator he's installed it just about everywhere but in our heads."

Quint laughed. "Well, personally I'm not gonna complain. Having the ability to speak to a fine pilot like you has been fun, really. Not every day you meet someone the same caliber as yourself, you know?"

Sprx couldn't help a chuckle. "Yeah, you're not too bad yourself."

They were quiet for the next few minutes. Sprx thought about the mission at hand, for he had no idea what was waiting for them in the Zone of Wasted Years.

"A lot of butt-ugly Skeleton King drones, that's for one," he muttered to himself, amused as his own wit. He sometimes regretted his connection with the Power Primate, for it made him sensitive to the confusing energies that area held. Sprx never did well with the unexplainable.

"Sprx, we're closing in on the Zone of Wasted Years. I think now's the time we should activate the cloaking devices," the familiar, slightly raspy voice of Garup said.

Garup was Sprx's froggy counterpart from Supa's team. He and Sprx got along fairly well, though they had disagreements over flight patterns and ship designs.

"Roger that, Garup. Alert the rest of the force; let's go in quick and quiet and leave out the back door," Sprx said.

"You got it, chief."

That habit, however, was picked up from Otto. Sprx had no idea how.

The red monkey quickly busied himself switching the ship to run under the cloaking device and under silence. The cloaking device would do little good if their enemies could still hear them.

Sprx heard a low hum as the cloaking device started up. He could see his surroundings shimmer slightly and breathed a sigh of relief when the noise of the engine cut down by at least half. He hoped that this plan would work; he wasn't so convinced of the cloaking devices ability when Otto explained to him that the ship's shields would mirror the sky instead of making them completely invisible.

"It's a cloaking device, not an invisibility cloak," Gibson had muttered.

"Don't tell me you've been reading that book with the freaky kid wizard with the scar again, Big Brain," Sprx muttered back.

"And what's wrong with that?" Otto asked.

Sprx and Gibson looked at him with incredulous and amused looks. Not only was the monkey hanging upside down by his tail with said book in hand, but he was holding the book upside down (which looked upright to Gibson and Sprx). Sprx could see that he was reading the third book in the series.

Sprx sighed at the memory and hoped that the mechanics' stupid device would help him do his job.

"ETA two minutes to target, Red. You ready to rock?" Quint's voice brought him back to the present.

"Yeah, sure thing."

"You sure? You seem to be zoning out a lot today."

"Nah, I'm all right. Just remember, we're here for spying, not for attacking."

"I know, I know."

Sprx chuckled, Quint was just as ready to attack the Skeleton King as he was, but he knew far too well now what haste and overzealousness could cost.

Two minutes later, the squadron was flying over one of the outer ring camps of Formless monsters. They all looked like dark blobs of goo from the sky. Sprx briefly wondered which of those blobs on the ground were responsible for Jitkle's injury.

Further ahead lay larger camps and it seemed like the first line of weaponry was at this circle. Little white specks that Sprx could only guess were the Undead Soldiers were walking around and there were large, black, rectangular objects. Tanks of some kind, Sprx guessed. Beyond them he could see the rising, overgrown dome of the laboratory where he and his teammates were born. He had sudden and quick flashbacks of the place and shuddered.

"Does anyone see anything in particular down there?" Sprx asked.

"Not much more than the usual army preparing for an attack I suppose," Quint said. "They seem to have us outnumbered, so why are they waiting to attack Shuggazoom? Seems kind of weird to me."

"I don't know," Sprx murmured.

Quint was right, it was weird. The first day or two when the Skeleton King was reborn, they scrambled to protect their city. The Undead Army stood at the end of the bridge that separated Shuggazoom City from the expanding wastelands beyond, brandishing weapons and looking particularly fierce, but they didn't move. Antauri had ordered them not to attack unless they started first, but they just stood there while the Super Robot was at the other end, standing in front of Shuggazoom like a silver brick wall. Nothing had happened for the rest of the day. While Chiro and Nova called for help, the others created a force field to surround the city. It was then that volunteer Shuggazoomians stepped in, armed with everything from staffs and display swords to broomsticks and pitchforks. Chiro asked Mr. Gakslapper to help organize them and gave them the responsibility to patrol the streets. Chiro really didn't want any of the people of Shuggazoom to get involved, but they insisted and he had little choice but to allow it.

"It seems like they might be waiting for something to happen," Garup said. "But what?"

The words barely left Garup's mouth before something rocked Sprx's ship.

"I guess it was that," Sprx muttered as he pulled at the controls. "Report, what's going on out there?"

There were a few cries, mainly those of surprise, but no one seemed to be able to answer.

"Sprx, above you!" Quint shouted.

Sprx sped up his ship and rolled over and it was then he saw it; a great creature with black wings and the head of what seemed to be a sort of dinosaur. It roared, showing rows of sharp teeth and a long, black, forked tongue slithered out viciously.

"What is that thing?" Garup asked.

"Have no idea, how can it see us?" Sprx wondered.

The creature roared again and dove, and then Sprx watched it recoil in mid-air as it bounced off another Sky Hopper. Sprx watched the Sky Hopper's cloaking device disappear and it was visible to anyone who was looking.

"Uh oh, evasive maneuvers, people! We've been spotted! Let's get our tails out of here!" Sprx ordered.

He spun his ship around to face the creature and fired a shot at it.

"Sprx, what are you doing?" Garup cried.

"Distracting it, now get out of here you dumb frog!" Sprx said.

"Uh uh, no way," Garup turned his ship and fired a shot at the creature too.

The creature look irritated now that it seemed to be getting shot from both directions.

"Garup, get out of here, now! That's an order!"

"I'm not leaving you out here by yourself! That's dishonorable!"

"He's right Red, no one gets left behind!" Quint said over the comm.

"You're not leaving me behind, now get going!" Sprx insisted.

Suddenly the flying monster let out a roar that pierced through each and every ship in range. Sprx covered his ears and looked at his display screen and saw that the cloaking devices on most of the others ships were failing, most likely his own as well.

"Shake your tails people and get out of here now!" Sprx ordered again as he spun his ship on the creature with the intent of taking it down.

Most of the other ships tuned and fled as ordered, but two of them remained.

"If you go down you're taking us with you," Quint said.

"You two are crazier than me!"

"Watch out!" Garup fired on the creature as it lunged at Sprx's ship.

The creature cried and spun towards the fire, the edge of its wing knocking into Sprx's ship hard.

"Red!"

Sprx tried righting his ship, but the controls weren't responding. He looked up and watched Garup's ship get trapped in the jaws of the flying creature and Quint's ship hurried forward to help. Sprx's fingers flew over controls; he finally righted his ship and flew full speed at the creature, running square into its abdomen.

The creature shrieked and released Garup's ship. It used a clawed limb to rip the front end of Sprx's ship and began trying to tear the rest of it apart.

Quint and Garup fired on the creature continuously, until finally they put their firing power together and focused on the creature's wing. The thin skin finally burned away, causing it to release Sprx's ship, which dropped to the ground like a stone. The creature struggled to keep airborne and was beating a hasty retreat. Quint and Garup raced to the ground in search of Sprx's ship.

"I see him, he's over there!" Garup said. "We must hurry; I believe the ship has caught fire!"

"No, the black smoke pouring out of it is supposed to happen, of course it's on fire," Quint muttered as they both landed their ships close to where Sprx had crashed.

The two jumped out, bringing fire extinguishers with them. Quint started spraying at the fire while Garup tried finding an access point to pull Sprx out.

"Sprx! Sprx, can you hear me? Answer me, please!" Garup called.

"The cockpit's entrance is on the other side you dolt!" Quint grumbled, tossing aside the extinguisher and rushing to the other side of the ship.

The cockpit was burst open, and sure enough there was Sprx, still strapped in tight to his chair. His body looked burned and broken, the side of his head had a fairly large dent, and just all in all, the situation didn't look good.

"You got something sharp on you?" Quint asked after pulling on the restraints with little luck.

"I believe so," Garup looked into his pocket and was able to produce a small cutting tool.

"I'll try to pull him out, get the extinguisher and try to keep the flames away from the fuel tanks," Quint said.

Garup nodded and ran off quickly to do his task. The cutting tool was small and not very sharp, Quint felt like it took him forever to get through and was successful just as Garup came back to him to report that the fire was completely extinguished.

"He doesn't look very well," Garup murmured, now able to take in a full view of Sprx's damaged body.

"You think? I don't know what to do, I don't know anything about robotic monkeys or what not, do you?" Quint asked, panic evident in his voice.

"I'm a pilot, not a doctor," Garup said back, looking slightly panicked himself. "What are we going to do? I curse myself now for not listening to Supa's lectures."

"Come on, now, we just can't sit here in a panic," Quint looked around. "Hey, you any good with electronical things?"

"I suppose, I can definitely try. What do you need?"

"Try seeing if you can rig up some sort of communication device. In the meantime I'll see what I can do for Sprx and maybe I can do some rigging myself and make something to get him home quickly without hurting him any worse."

"The radios in our ships should work. I think it will be getting the help out to us that would be more difficult."

"Right, right, I forgot for a moment that those things can link back to Chiro and the others,"

"I'll be back in a little while,"

Quint nodded and watched Garup race off, then he looked down at Sprx. His stomach turned slightly.

"I don't know much, but let's see what I'll be able to do for you, Red."

Back at the Super Robot, Antauri felt uneasy. He went to the window to look out at the clear sky, but as he did, a wave of nausea hit him. It was a sensation that he hadn't felt in a long time, especially since he didn't really have a stomach anymore.

But that just made it all the more unsettling.


	5. Pasts Unveiled 1

Chapter Five: Pasts Unveiled 1

"How long do you suppose it will take to get there?" Chiro asked.

"At least a day, hope you brought a book," Captain Shuggazoom said.

"Not really, but actually I'd like to ask you something, if you don't mind."

Captain Shuggazoom chuckled. "Go on."

"How did you and the Alchemist meet?"

The elder man sighed and sat back in his seat, glancing out the window into the stars.

"Now, that is a story."

_Many years ago on the planet Veron…_

"Brother Clayton!"

"Huh-wha?"

A young Clayton Carrington soon found himself looking up into the visage of a white-cloaked being. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the being was irritated with the young student.

"Brother Clayton, this exercise requires deep concentration. If you are not going to participate, please tone down your snores so the other students may learn something during this hour. Then we can discuss your future at this temple with Master Zan."

Clayton would normally roll his eyes, but this time, he sighed and looked down into his crossed legs. He felt sincerely bad this time, he really had been trying to catch up and not be a total failure to the order of the Veron Mystics. Unfortunately, it had also meant staying awake for three nights finishing the book reading he was supposed to have been doing for the past four months.

The end of the class hour revealed that one of his classmates weren't so forgiving.

"Why must you be so disruptive?" the dark-haired youth growled at him outside the meditation room. "It's a wonder any of us in here are going to pass, thanks to you,"

Clayton was hardly in the mood. He knew this young man was the best student of their class if not one of the best students to ever pass through the temple.

"That's easy for you to say, Mr. Perfect."

The youth scoffed at him and walked away while tossing another insult over his shoulder. "Call me what you will but at least I am here for reasons other than the fact that I can afford to go where I please."

That tore it for young Clayton. He ran at the retreating backside and leapt at him for an attack. He highly underestimated the young man, for Clayton found himself on his back with the wind knocked out of him and a foot pressed firmly to his chest.

"It is highly dishonorable to attack someone while their back is turned and unwise to attack someone you do not know whatsoever," he said, glaring down at the wheezing brunette.

Clayton finally got his breath back enough to speak, but it still felt highly uncomfortable. "And it is unwise to underestimate your opponent that you apparently don't know either, even if he is on his back."

The older student only had a moment for a look of confusion to register before Clayton grabbed his foot, lifted a leg to kick his stomach hard enough to knock him down. Clayton quickly rolled over and pinned his attacker to the ground.

"You don't know me anymore than I know you. If you've really got to know, I'm not here just because I can afford it. I'm here because my mother was a Veron Mystic, and her dying wish was that I was to study here. As a matter of fact I have no right to the family fortune until I do, until I pass and make something of myself."

The raven-haired man scowled up at him. "Then why have you done little else but be disruptive? If all of this matters so much, why have you been acting like a child?"

"Because I didn't know how important it was to my family until I lost the last one," Clayton sighed and got off of his peer. "My father died last week, it was one of the family friends that told me how important what education I gained from this place is. There, are you happy? You know all about me, now."

Clayton turned away and started down the hall. He was very happy that he had free time for the next few hours, because thanks to his classmate, he was very depressed.

"Look, hey, I, uh, I'm sorry."

Clayton turned to the soft-spoken voice. His classmate had stood up and was scratching the back of his head with a sheepish look.

"I don't need your pity," Clayton muttered.

"No, you don't, but you do deserve an apology. Part of our learning here is to remember that all beings are connected, that we must get along with each other, and acceptance is key to happiness," the young man sighed, ashamed with himself enough that he couldn't even meet Clayton's eyes.

Clayton also sighed, feeling a bit exasperated. He didn't mean to make the guy feel bad.

"Look, it's all right, just forget about it."

Clayton turned and walked away. He stopped when he felt a tug on his long sleeve. He turned to meet the face of his ashamed classmate.

"My name is Akihito; I don't think we ever actually met each other."

"Clayton," he reached down to shake hands. He was a little surprised at how thin and delicate the other hand was. "Man, do you skip meals or something?"

Akihito frowned. "No, I've always been like this,"

Clayton shook his head and threw an arm over Akihito's shoulder. "Come on, we're getting you something to eat."

Over their lunch, the two came to know each other better. Akihito was a few years older than Clayton, he had been educated in the best universities in the universe, studied with some of the greatest minds, and now he was planning on finishing his training in the Veron Temple before starting a project he has been thinking of since he was a teenager. Clayton had been training with a man named Master Offay as well as countless others and this trip to the Veron Temple was to help cultivate his training to its highest peak.

"And you seem to be getting off to a great start," Akihito said, amusement heavy in his voice.

"Shut up," Clayton muttered, taking a bite of bread. "Seriously, I know I was screwing around and everything, it's just everyone's so stiff around here. Plus I never seriously thought that this whole thing was going to be so darn important."

"Why is it so important?"

"Grandma, my mom's mom, was the first woman to emerge from the Veron Temple as a Power Primate Master."

Akihito nearly choked on his drink. "What? Are you serious?"

Clayton blinked. "What?"

"Y-you mean to tell me that Master Orihc Antauri is your grandmother?"

"Uhm, yes? I don't know, really, she sort of disappeared when I was a kid, I never knew her or her name."

"Clayton, you're a direct descendant of one of the most famous masters of the Power Primate that ever lived!"

"Maybe the talent gene skips a generation."

Akihito snickered. "Perhaps, my friend, perhaps."

Clayton scowled at him.

The next few months seemed to go by in a flash. Clayton and Akihito grew closer as they came to know each other better. Clayton would amuse Akihito with his stories about his martial arts training while Akihito helped Clayton focus his mind and learn how to study better. Finally after another year training, the two were ready for their graduation.

Graduation ceremonies for the Veron Temple were simple, no-frill events. The ceremony was held in silence; the students sat in a line, stood when Master Zan approached them, received their blessings and were released into the universe to do what they would with the knowledge they had gained. Clayton was simply bowed to and received a pat on the head, meaning that he had completed the most basic of training. It was the least his parents wanted of him, to at least know the ways that was in his family's blood. His friend Akihito, however, received higher honors. Clayton glanced over his shoulder just before he left the room to see Master Zan also bow to his dark-haired friend, but he was also presented with a medal and something that was made of navy blue and dark red fabric.

Clayton waited patiently in the temple's receiving area for his friend to catch up to him.

"Hey, Aki, what's up with the rug?" Clayton asked as the thin man approached him.

"It's not a rug, you fool, it's a robe. Since alchemy has been my goal, this is a gift bestowed only on one, sometimes two people per century. It is an alchemists robe," Akihito explained.

"Ah, so you're going to be Alchemist Akihito," Clayton chuckled at the alliteration. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"I'm returning to my laboratory on a planet called Shuggazoom," Akihito said.

Clayton smiled. "Funny, I'm returning to my home planet to care for my father's business, also back on Shuggazoom."

They both laughed.

"And here I thought this was goodbye," Akihito said with a chuckle. "Care for a ride home, then?"

"Sure, thanks."

Akihito and Clayton had to walk quite a ways from the temple, for the space transports were forbidden to be inside or near the building.

Clayton stopped and gaped. There was a huge grey block, it was bigger than anything he had ever seen, and on top was a smaller box. It took him a moment to realize that it had a face.

"Aki, look, what do you think that is?" Clayton asked, pointing up to it.

"Hm?" Akihito turned and looked where Clayton pointed to. "Oh, there it is."

Clayton's jaw dropped even further. "You mean that thing is yours?"

"Yes, this is the Super Robot," Akihito smiled, but Clayton could sense a hint of something else, something sad or regretful. But the Alchemist seemed to shake it off because he smiled at Clayton and beckoned. "Are you just going to stand there and stare at it?"

Clayton shook himself and followed his friend.

"Wow," Chiro breathed when Captain Shuggazoom stopped talking, and then he let out another, somewhat disappointed sigh. "So, I guess you don't know who created the Super Robot either, huh?"

"Oh, no, I do," he corrected. "The Alchemist said that he and two old friends had combined their efforts to create the Super Robot. The Alchemist had the main design, one friend, Professor Takeuchi had the funds, material, and know-how to put it together, and his other friend, Dr. Maezono, also had an impressive background in robotics,"

Chiro blinked. "So, wait, then what happened?"

"Eh, it's another long story. The short version is that the Alchemist found out that his two friends were trying to create weapons for real when he thought they were doing it for fun. The Alchemist was still quite young at that time and saw no use for violence. After a few months when he came to realize what evil there really was in the world, he outfitted the robot with some weaponry, then he took the robot and disappeared."

"Huh, now what I don't understand is how the robot started thinking for itself."

"That I don't think I can answer, son. I have no idea. It didn't seem to do that during my time."

"So, when did you become Captain Shugga-"

Chiro was cut off when their ships took a heavy lurch.

"That will be a story for another time," Captain Shuggazoom grabbed onto the ships controls while Chiro starting looking at the view screens.

"What's going on out there, Chiro?" Captain Shuggazoom asked as the ship shook again.

Chiro paled at the readings. "You're not going to like it. Evasive maneuvers and let's get out of here!"

"You called, Master?" Mandarin shuffled into the room and knelt before the Skeleton King, eyes downcast.

"Mandarin, my most loyal of servants, you are the only one I can entrust my next mission to," Skeleton King said.

"Of course, my liege," Mandarin murmured to the floor.

"I want you to go to the ruins of the Veron Temple and find this," he waved his staff and a wavy circle of light appeared in front of Mandarin.

Mandarin stayed in his kneeling position but looked up to see what his master was going to show him. The circle brightened briefly before showing an image of a lumpy brown stone with a surrounding green glow.

"What is it?" Mandarin asked.

"This is the last piece of Master Zan's legacy. It is called a Primal Brick, it holds the power I need."

"More power? But master, are you not the most powerful being-"

"Silence!"

A red laser shot from the Skeleton King's staff and gave Mandarin a harder shock than he was used to.

"I-I-I-I'm s-sorry!" Mandarin shrieked as soon as he could muster his wits to form words.

The Skeleton King pulled his staff back and growled down at his bony monkey. "Don't question me, you are my servant and you do as I say."

"Y-yes, my king," Mandarin mumbled shakily as he limped out of the room.

Skeleton King chuckled again as he banged the bottom of his staff on the ground. An undead minion skulked out of the shadows and moaned at his side.

"Begin Phase One," Skeleton King ordered him.

The undead creature nodded and dragged himself away.


	6. When the Problems Combine

Author's Note

Aloha minna-san! (Hello everyone!)

Been a long time, hasn't it? I can only apologize and hope that if not now, someday you guys can understand my absence. It's been an insane year, moving between states (and one of those states being clear across the country and beyond), but it's about time that I finished this part of the saga. Not sure if FFNet alerts new versions of chapters or what-not, but I went back and edited the previous chapters, nothing major really, maybe made a few things more clear, but in case you come straight to this chapter, I'm letting you know now that it might be a good idea to go back to the beginning, just in case.

I don't want to promise updates I cannot provide, however I do promise that come heck or highwater, I will finish this piece. I would like to set my goal to finish it by December of this year, but realistically considering Nano, school, and a few other things, it may not be possible. If I can get to a point where I can update more regularly, you all will be the first to know.

So, enough of my babbling, onto Chapter Six of Prophecy, and I hope you all will enjoy!

Chapter Six: When the Problems Combine

Otto looked over the readings nervously. He didn't like what he was seeing, and he could feel the eyes of his teammates on him.

"There's still no word from Sprx or his group," Otto said gravely. "And there seems to be some activity outside of the shield."

He put the papers aside and turned to the viewing screen. After a moment, the image of the force field that separated Shuggazoom City from the rest of the planet showed that thousands upon thousands of undead soldiers were pounding on the outside of the shield.

"What are they doing?" Nova asked, squinting at the screen.

"I highly doubt their mere fists are going to break the force field, right, Otto?" Gibson asked.

"Nah, no way," Otto said. "But I don't have a good feeling about this."

"Do you think they're trying to just get our attention?" Nova asked.

"Or trying to distract us?" Antauri murmured. "Nova, it's time for you and Jinmay to take your teams to face them in case they disrupt the shield. The civilians won't be able to hold them off."

"Got it, let's go, Jinmay," Nova said, the two girls leaving as the alarms sounded.

"It looks like it could be a difficult battle. Shouldn't we be out there as well?" Gibson asked.

"Normally I would agree, however you and Supa are needed to prepare the medical team for the likely injuries that will be coming in. Otto, you must make sure that the shield is not compromised. Alert the mechanics and have them prepare for the worst," Antauri turned to leave.

"What are you going to do?" Gibson asked, turning to follow him.

"I must see if this is a distraction. I don't like hat this attack is coming when we can't reach Sprx's squad."

"Sh-sh-sh-super Robot, do you read?" the radio crackled with static.

"Who is this?" Otto asked.

"Pilot Ulu of Sprx-77's squad. I'm sorry to report that we have failed in our mission."

Antauri and Gibson froze in the doorway, both watching Otto over their shoulders.

"Where is Sprx?" Otto asked, a heavy stone forming in his stomach.

"Unknown, we've lost a few of our pilots," Ulu replied. "It was a real mess out there."

Otto glanced back at Antauri; the silver monkey's expression was unreadable.

"Inform them of our situation, Otto, any pilots who cam fight will be needed. Those who have damaged vehicles or are injured are to receive repairs and medical attention immediately," Antauri ordered. He turned to Gibson, "take care of the pilots quickly in case you get those from the front of the force field. I pray it won't come to that, though."

Gibson nodded and Antauri was gone. The blue and green monkeys shared a worried glance before they moved to carry out their duties.

Nova and Jinmay stood at the front line, only a few feet from the shield that separated them from the fierce, undead army that continued to beat their bony fists and weapons upon it.

The number of warriors made Jinmay a little nervous. To her, they were a completely unknown enemy and outnumbered them by quite a bit. She had only seen the evil that Velina had committed, but she didn't have much first-hand experience with the Skeleton King himself.

Nova stared them straight in the eye. She outright refused to be intimidated by these piles of slime and bone, and she was determined to take them all down, by herself if necessary.

Then a movement above them made Nova glance up momentarily, only long enough for her to see the group of jets that Sprx had taken off with hours earlier. She went back to her staring contest, and it seemed that the undead she was staring down took no notice of her glancing away. Even though they probably wouldn't care that they were speaking and there was no guarantee that they could understand her, she still tried not to move her mouth when she spoke.

"Jinmay, it's going to be all right, Sprx is here," Nova murmured.

"Huh?"

"Don't look; I just saw their squad flying overhead. We're going to be just fine," Nova said. The smirk was clear in her voice.

"Incoming!" someone shouted from the crowd.

Everyone looked up to see what looked like an oversized canon ball heading towards the shield.

"Retreat!" Jinmay ordered even as she and Nova started moving back.

The black ball hit the shield, splattering on it like a snowball made of tar. Everyone stared as it slowly slid down to the ground. The undead army stopped banging when the ball hit and the soldiers backed away, leaving an eerie silence.

The purpose of the ball became clear when the part of the force field it touched crackled, and then slowly, the ooze began eating away the shield like acid. The undead army immediately began climbing into the hole that was slowly being made.

"Uh oh," Nova muttered, and then she steeled herself. "Attack! Don't let them in!"

Their group surged forward to attempt pushing back the undead soldiers. The fighter jets above them began their own attack outside the edge of the shield.

Everyone gave it their all; everyone used every mood Nova and Jinmay taught them, Jinmay used her robot form to its maximum potential, and Nova pummeled everything in her reach.

In the back of Nova's mind, however, she wondered how long they could all keep it up.

Mobius Quint and Garup ran as fast as they could. Quint was being careful of every step, doing his best not to jar Sprx. The two were able to rig a backpack-like carrier to transport the comatose monkey. Though both of them had a good sense of direction, they still prayed silently that they were going in the right direction and back towards Shuggazoom City.

"How much longer, do you think?" Quint asked.

"Unknown, though I estimate perhaps another few miles," Garup replied.

"If you think you can get ahead, do it."

"I know, I'm trying."

Though Quint was going slower due to his cargo, Garup's little frog legs only kept him a few feet ahead.

"I believe the foliage is clearing," Garup said after they had traveled some more yards ahead. "Yes! I can see the Super Robo-"

Garup stopped short, his mouth hanging open in shock. It only took Quint a couple of steps to catch up to where his froggy companion stood motionless.

They looked upon the awesome sight of the massive numbers of undead soldiers fighting with their own, the force field shimmered, and it seemed it was shorting out and likely it wouldn't be online for much longer.

Quint tugged the strap of the makeshift backpack, suddenly very aware of the weight he was carrying.

"Let's get moving, froggy," Quint said.


End file.
